The elevator plunged, his stomach doing somersaults in the process. Alec gripped the railing and focused on the silvery floor. Then just like that, the door sprang open. Cool air enveloped him. Gray stalked out of the elevator with Tara following without hesitation. Alec sighed and went after them.
Green squares and shimmering blue boxes lined the transparent street. The ground felt alive beneath his feet, transparent waves rippled from the AI’s steps, his blue undulations bouncing off Gray’s. Towers rose everywhere like long-necked beasts craning towards the heavens. Some of the structures twisted and bent around one another, almost imperceptivity slow. Nothing moved still here, not even the buildings.
The holograms returned farther along the road, their hawking bubbling in his ears. Gray maneuvered through the street like a King amongst his subjects. Tara certainly trailed along like a dutiful disciple. Then again, wasn’t he doing much the same thing? The holograms vanished as swiftly as they’d come, replaced by a thick cloud.
Sammy reappeared at his shoulder in a bright sapphire burst. “These are thought bubbles,” his helpful guide said, pointing a wing a mist above their heads. “You can put anything you want in there. It’s a great way to find friends. After all, Arctic City is all about socializing. You can—”
“Thanks,” Gray cut in, a bit rudely. “But he has a guide now.”
Sammy eyed the AI with clear distaste and fluttered its wings. “Sure thing. Kid, let me know if you need me.” The hologram vanished with an audible pop.
Several minutes later, Gray halted at a staircase that led underground. A dull ruby glow emanated from the flight of steps. His skin crawled. Something waited for them down there. A presence. As surely as if someone stood in front of them. Something cold and calculating and beyond dangerous.
Alec knew going down was a bad idea. Yet, Gray descended without so much as a pause. Tara mirrored the AI. He swallowed the lump in his throat and followed. By the second step, the ruby light consumed his vision. He expected a cool breeze, but instead a pleasant warmth enveloped him. He licked his lips. Curious. They tasted like sugar. Music flowed through his chest, an electric static that hissed through his fingertips and buzzed from his ears and chest loosening something lodged deep inside him he hadn’t even known was there.
Down here, everything took on a surreal, slow-motion quality as though he were watching a skilled painter work in real-time. The sugary air tickled his nose and tongue all the way down the staircase. Tara followed as though an invisible line chained her to the AI.
Unease fluttered in his stomach. A similarly ruby-lit passageway snaked out at the bottom. Alec couldn’t pinpoint the source of light. As they stole along, the passageway spilled out into divergent branches. Gray didn’t miss a beat, turning here and there. The illumination changed from red to blue with such abruptness that he halted, expecting something to happen to mark the transition.
Gray continued at his relentless pace. Alec rushed to keep up. It reminded him of the video in the golden pyramid, forced along a trail with danger surely waiting at the destination. Alec tried to memorize the pathways, but soon lost count. Somewhere in the journey, the path declined, and they reached a spiral staircase. Down, down, down, they went.
The cerulean illumination ceased, and darkness leapt out like an ambushing beast. Alec fought the rising tide of panic in his chest. Surely, Gray, the world’s first super artificial intelligence system knew what it was doing. He put his faith in the technology.
This far down, there wasn’t a vaguest hint of an advertisement. No sign of human life at all, but the air smelled damp and he could hear small feet scuttling up ahead, probably rats. Except the red eyes that glowered back at them reminded him more of the battle droid than any living animal. He suppressed a shiver and shuffled along behind Gray, this time careful to keep Tara within arm’s reach. The bottom of his feet ached against the uneven cobblestones.
Just as Alec was about to open a file to give him infrared vision, Gray said, “Don’t open any screens this deep. And it’s best to keep quiet unless I say you can speak. I can shield you to a certain extent, but something might find a way into your system.”
He stopped what he was doing immediately at the warning. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if his system was hacked by a creature living down here.
Some hidden pressure pushed against his temples. Even breathing became tedious. Slinking shapes stenciled the shadows ahead, but they always disappeared when they came too near. The youth continued through the pitch black as though on a daily stroll through a neighborhood park.
A patch of light gasped out of the darkness, the sudden illumination growing until they stood in front of a neon sign that read theBackDoor.
And just that stood in front of them. Intricate designs ran in recursive lines. The lines reminded him of a computer chip.
Gray shot him a final warning glance and pushed through the door. By some miracle it opened to admit them. Tara followed like an overly loyal puppy. Alec stared at the engravings on the door and couldn’t help but think of the golden pyramid video again. Somehow it was coming full circle, and Marcia had something to do with it.
Beyond the door, bone-white sofas and neon-trimmed armchairs spread out as far as the eye could see. To the right, a singer performed on stage with seats. For such a difficult place to get to it was packed. Even so, his eyes immediately landed a woman sitting near the far-left corner, catty-cornered next to the stage. The make-up and mascara made her look ten years older, but there was no mistaking that heart-shaped face. Marcia.
His stomach seemed determined to turn itself inside out. He marched over anyway. Gray tugged at his shoulder, but he shrugged the hand off. The stage, the singer, all the guests shrank into the semidarkness. Marcia’s mascara-painted face consumed his vision. A part of him hadn’t wanted to believe it, but now to see her here there was no denying the truth.
Two shadows sprang up in front of him. The wraiths halted his advance with the effectiveness of a brick wall. He moved to sidestep them, but the hulking apparitions again met his advance. The singer on stage belted out her song without missing a beat.
“Let me through,” he shouted, fighting to squeeze through the gap between their blocky shoulders.
Several heads turned in his direction, but most of the patrons remained fixated on the singer’s performance. He thrashed, willing his abilities to resurface.
“Let them through,” a female voice said, somehow cutting over the song. Marcia. The hands on his shoulders vanished, and the security guards seeped back into the black.
Gray strolled past and sat at the table. Tara flowed past him and mirrored his action. For the first time, Alec wondered if the AI might have hacked her system instead of healing her. Cool gray eyes met his. Gray motioned for him to come. He gritted his teeth and obeyed. He’d been a fool to trust the AI.
Marcia sat across from him wearing a flowing silk dress, hands folded in her lap. Diamonds glittered in a semicircle across her chest. Gone was the girl he’d known. Now that he faced her, he wasn’t sure what to say. Was there anything to say? Would it even matter?
Beside him, Tara hummed along with the singer.
Gray plucked at a passing waiter. “Two Rare Candy x10s.”
“Put it on my tab,” Marcia told the raven featured boy. She dismissed the waiter with a glance and raised an eyebrow at the youth next to him. “I finally get to meet the infamous AI, the evader of Core Technologies. Nice to meet the mysterious Gray.”
Alec frowned. Marcia even sounded different. More confident and self-assured. Like someone used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
“I like my mystery,” Gray replied lightly. “I’d very much like to keep that.”
Alec pressed his hands against the glass table. He wanted to rage at Marcia, to demand answers, but the words stuck in the back of his throat.
Marcia sipped at her drink. Her eyes never left the AI. “Since you are here, I’m sure you’ve come prep
ared to give certain things up.”
“I’m not sure you could walk away with such things.”
Alec stared at them in turn. What in the cyberspace were they talking about?
Their drinks arrived, and a tube of pink liquid was set in front of him. It bubbled and hissed, but he gulped it down anyway, grateful for something to do. It smelled like weeks old laundry but went down surprisingly smooth. His cheeks blossomed with heat. He stared at the outline of his hands, the moisture stubbornly fading from the table.
“Are we here to discuss business or not?” Marcia snapped, patience finally running thin.
The girl leaned forward, eyes brighter than the diamonds on her neck. Now this was more like the girl Alec had known. He opened his mouth to make the comment, but Gray nudged him with his knee.
Gray shook his head as though reading his thoughts. The AI sipped his drink and crossed his legs, his regal manner on the street returning.
“Let’s talk business,” Gray said, his foot bouncing. “I want the original code returned. This is non-negotiable. Also, I want to secure the freedom of my protégé here.”
Protégé? Alec blinked. Was the youth talking about him?
Marcia sneered and leaned back. “Your protégé?” She laughed. Even that sounded different. “I’ll let the Boss know.”
Alec busied himself with his drink to loosen the lump in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to rail at the girl across from him, but he remembered Gray’s warning about talking and remained quiet.
Marcia unfolded her hands on the table. “He will leave off the boy.” She smiled. “But he wants a larger percentage of code in exchange. The Boss would like to invite you to his manor to discuss the details further.” Her grin widened. “This location is a bit inconvenient. Also, the original code will be on site. If we can facilitate a deal, we will hand over the asset.”
Alec felt a bit lightheaded from the drink, but even he knew this was a trap. Gray would never agree to this.
“Location doesn’t matter,” Gray said affably.
Marcia paused, clearly surprised that he’d agreed so quickly. She frowned but jerked a nod and stood. The two mountain-sized wraiths returned, hovering on either shoulder as she strolled towards the stage.
Gray followed, leaving his drink practically untouched on the table. Alec shook his head. Gray better damn well have a plan.
Another untagged message floated across him. You may want to focus. It’s going to be a difficult trip.
Chapter 19
They filed out of the nightclub just as the song reached its climax. The dancer floated midair, spinning and cartwheeling, voice never wavering as the notes climaxed. They skirted around the stage and into the back area. The backstage bristled with activity, the employees of the club froze when they saw Marcia.
Then they were out of the club and walking along another alleyway. Tiny screens formed blocks on each wall. Each block played different scenes from popular culture over the last century. At least they weren’t in total darkness.
Marcia and her two bodyguards spearheaded the procession followed by Gray and then Tara, who marched in step without comment. The suspicion grew that Gray was stunting his guardian’s recovery for his own purposes. It shouldn’t take so long for the repair. Especially since his guardian was otherwise functioning normally.
“Stop,” Marcia said.
The procession grinded to a halt, and she dug at several bricks from the wall beside them. One of the bricks played a scene from a gunfight between two cowboys. One of the actors swept golden hair from his eyes and lowered his hand next to his gun, blue eyes sharp and alert. Alec searched for a pattern in the bricks pulled but couldn’t decipher one before the section of the wall glowed and dissolved, replaced by a sun-drenched road winding alongside a cliff. He couldn’t see the water, but salty air tickled his nose. Then he heard it, the sea crashing against the cliff with such force that the road trembled as though from an earthquake.
Marcia and her two bodyguards increased their pace to a light jog. Gray matched her pace. He matched his.
Do not hesitate, Gray urged. Just follow us.
Marcia’s jog increased to a full sprint. Alec whipped a glance over his shoulder. Nothing was chasing them, so why were they running so fast? He accelerated anyway, careful not to gain too much on Tara or fall too far behind. Marcia along with her two guards vanished at the edge.
His breath caught in his chest even as he churned his legs with more force. Gray toppled over the cliff. Was this wise? Was it too late to turn back? His heart thumped against his chest like an animal clawing to escape its cage.
Tara didn’t slow as she mindlessly plunged over the side. Then the road beneath him vanished. Instead of plunging a splattering death against weather-beaten rocks, his feet snapped onto the side of the cliff as though gravity had shifted. Now he ran directly towards the weather-beaten rocks. Just wonderful.
Neither Gray nor Marcia or her bodyguards were anywhere to be seen. His mind screamed at him to stop. His heart thundered in his ears, but momentum forced his legs faster and faster. Below, the waves slapped and beat a hasty retreat across the rocks. Moments later, the water gushed forward, and Tara struck the frothing sea with a spectacular splash.
Which would it be for him? Rock or water?
His heart thundered in his ears. Almost there. The water seethed, then the rocks rose up to meet him.
He screamed.
He stood in another dark alleyway. Dizzy, he leaned against the wall. His throat tasted of acid and he was sure he would be sick at any moment. Everyone else looked calm and collected. He sucked in a ragged breath. What in the cyberhell was that?
Ahead, the wraiths swarmed around Marcia and Gray like locusts on a humid summer day. An enormous, gold-plated gate loomed at the end of the road, a golden eagle with a snake clutched in its talons gleamed in the dim light. Alec coughed and forced himself to stand straight.
What happened? He blinked in shock. The message was from Tara.
He met her gaze and put a finger to his lips. He sent her images, snippets of events since their deal with the King.
Her eyes glazed over at this, and Alec feared that he’d sent her too much information, that woman would lapse back into madness. Her eyes snapped back to attention almost instantly, the old intensity in her gaze returning. He breathed a sigh of relief. Until she seized his shirt. How could she do this?
Over Tara’s shoulder, Marcia and Gray stared at them, curious but not interfering. What are you talking about?
Tara released his shirt and stepped back. Your mother was a monster. Her legs buckled and it was Alec’s turn to grab her.
He stared pleadingly in her eyes. A war was being fought there. One that he didn’t completely understand. Tara, we are too close to quit now. Remember what Marlo said, we have to complete the objective.
Tara’s mouth twisted. She wouldn’t met his gaze. They use us like tools.
Alec’s throat tightened. Us? He shook his head. He couldn’t think about that right now. Tara, we’ve come too far to give up now!
His heart clenched as her face crumpled. She glanced around as though seeing it for the first time. Your mother betrayed us, Tara told him.
He fought to close the hole wrenching itself open in his chest. He shook her, but the act was as much for himself as for her. Tara, stop this. We are so close! It’s almost over.
The war raged across her face. She went still, and her face cleared. The objective. Yes, I remember now.
Dark shapes fluttered around them. Alec leaned forward and caught Tara’s eye. Are you ready to do this?
Her eyes widened at the apparitions around them. She gazed past him where Marcia and Gray waited. Tara’s eyes narrowed. She shouldered past him.
“Glad you could finally make it,” Gray said without an ounce of sarcasm. In the same moment, a message from the AI floated in front of him. It’s safe to speak.
Still, Alec wasn’t much in the mood for talking.
He watched Marcia as she appeared to be in some kind of communication with the gate, her back turned to them. Alec couldn’t tear his gaze from the girl even as the shadows glided all around them.
“I told you not to trust her,” Tara said, coming up to stand next to him. She ignored the sulking shadows.
Marcia’s back stiffened at the comment, but the girl didn’t turn around.
The gate lurched open, reflecting every shard of light in the alleyway and some. Alec blinked. Rows of miniature houses spanned out. His pulse quickened. This couldn’t be the place.
With dark shapes surrounding her, Marcia stepped through into the miniature neighborhood. She produced a golden key and placed it inside the door of one of the houses, indistinguishable from the rest.
A faint tremble against his soles. Then his ears roared with the quake. The miniature house exploded outward as the reality stretched. The sand was soft and forgiving against his feet. At the end of the road, a forlorn, stately house stood. White marble pillars held up the home. Skeletal trees reached out with their spindly fingers above them as though warning them to turn back.
Total System Failure Page 12